When Whitney Hardzenberg (23) decided she wanted to return to school and complete matric, she faced an uphill battle. Matric is always a difficult experience, but with a six-month-old baby and a four-year study gap, it presents a unique challenge. 

The school Hardzenberg had previously attended turned her away. Desperate for a chance, she approached Lavender Hill High School. 

“I told them I will do my best to just do my matric, and I promised them I will pass,” she told Maverick Citizen. 

Whitney Hardzenberg, a 23-year-old mother, achieved a matric pass after studying at Lavender Hill High School in 2022. (Photo: Supplied / Whitney Hardzenberg)

Being accepted for Lavender Hill’s 2022 matric year was only the first hurdle. In February, her young daughter became sick with meningitis and needed to be admitted to hospital. Hardzenberg took time away from school to be with her. 

“The support I got from Lavender Hill High … the [school] stuff was brought to me at the hospital, each child took a book to [bring me] my work,” she said. “My teacher 100% supported me, she came to drop parcels also.” 

Hardzenberg’s father helped support her during her studies, but her daughter continued to struggle with poor health, and the resources available to the small family were stretched thin. At one stage, Hardzenberg decided to drop out, convinced that she would not be able to pass. 

“Lavender Hill High teachers and the kids — my classmates — they came to me, they told me: ‘You’re not going to drop out, Whitney. You came this far, you’re going to go on,’” she said. 

This support carried her through, and she attained a matric pass. 

“[My previous school] gave up on me, and I gave up on myself as well,” she said. “Lavender Hill High teachers are the best … they didn’t give up on me.” 

Lavender Hill High School’s Class of 2022.

Faith Peterson, Laeeqa Jacobs, Jenino Maritz, Zoe Isaacs and AmyLee Langly from Lavender Hill High School celebrate their matric results. (Photo: Brenton Geach)

Principal of Lavender Hill Fuad Viljoen address the matrics in the school hall. (Photo: Brenton Geach)

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Measures of success 

Fuad Viljoen, the principal of Lavender Hill High School, described Hardzenberg’s experience and those like it as the “success stories” that the school’s 2022 matric pass rate of 68.6% did not show.  

The school’s most recent matric pass rate marked a decline of 8.9% from the 2021 pass rate of 77.5%, and a decline of 21.3% from the 2019 pass rate of 89.9%. However, over the past four years, the number of learners who stayed in school to the end of their matric year has increased steadily. The final matric class of 2019 was only 89 pupils, while the final class of 2022 was 159 pupils. This is another of Lavender Hill High School’s success stories, said Viljoen. 

“What is happening at Lavender Hill High School is that we are starting to increase our throughput … getting more of our Grade 8s to reach Grade 12. 

“In a community like this, it’s important for learners to remain in school for their whole school career. The dropouts become targets for the nefarious forces out there, be it dealers, gangsters, et cetera. And therein lies our success in increasing the throughput.” 

Jade Groenewald (18), the top matric achiever at Lavender Hill, said while she struggled with motivation for a few months in 2022, she realised that to go after what she wanted, she would need to keep working. 

“I’ve wanted to give up, I’ve wanted to drop out. It’s just the parents and teachers that constantly pushed me … teachers at the school are very supportive. You do feel that motivation and that love from them because there are teachers that love what they do. 

“Everyone should have the opportunity to succeed and have that mindset where they can move forward and have people to support them.” 

According to Viljoen, Lavender Hill High School is working to increase the number of pupils who stay in school, and to improve the matric pass rate and support those who matriculate in pursuing further studies. 

Junaid Isaacs gets congratulated by classmates as he gets his matric certificate at Lavender Hill High School. (Photo: Brenton Geach)

Lavender Hill top student Jade Lippert is congratulated. (Photo: Brenton Geach)

Overcoming adversity 

For many learners, the school is the only institution providing structure in their lives, said Viljoen. Most of them only actively interact with their schoolwork in class. 

“Once they leave the school gate, there is no parental control to say you must do your homework,” he said. 

Another challenge is the high rate of gang violence in Lavender Hill. Groenewald said: “Leaving our home … we don’t know if it would be our last [time]. So, we could walk out of our home and not come back.” 

Lavender Hill High School was a community school in the truest sense of the word, said Viljoen, with most pupils walking to school from nearby homes. 

Gang shootings sometimes broke out when pupils should be on their way to school, he continued. In these instances, they were advised to remain at home — a difficult situation for those who relied on the security and feeding scheme provided by the school. 

“For our learners in this community, it’s a daily battle coming to school,” said Viljoen. “Despite whatever’s happening in this community, they’ve reached matric … and that in itself is a milestone.” DM/MC